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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458819">Robin Hood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealFailWhale/pseuds/TheRealFailWhale'>TheRealFailWhale</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fence (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward teen boys, Disney, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Errol Flynn - Freeform, Fencing, Fluff, M/M, Old Movies, Robin Hood References, Slow Burn, Teen Romance, The Princess Bride References, sleep cuddling, two boys one bed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:34:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,477</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28458819</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealFailWhale/pseuds/TheRealFailWhale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicholas suggests a movie night and Seiji reluctantly agrees</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nicholas Cox/Seiji Katayama</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Robin Hood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Seiji entered their room, Nicholas was waiting.</p><p>“There you are!” he said as greeting, surprising Seiji with his exuberance. Not that he should be surprised given how energetic Nicholas always was. </p><p>“What?” Seiji asked flatly, dropping his bag and shrugging out of his school jacket.</p><p>Nicholas sat up on his bed and held out a DVD case. “Harvard told me there’s a really cool fencing or swordfighting scene in this movie. Wanna watch it with me?”</p><p>Seiji stared. “You want to watch a movie together?” </p><p>Nicholas rolled his eyes. “Not the whole movie, just the fight scene. Come on, you can point out everything some dead guy did wrong.”</p><p>“Tempting,” Seiji intoned as he changed into night clothes. To be honest, he was interested. Just a little. “Fine.”</p><p>Nicholas cheered and scrambled to a projector sitting by his bed. “Harvard also let me borrow his movie-watching set up when I explained I don’t have a laptop or anything.”</p><p>Seiji waited on his bed while Nicholas set up the projector. It didn’t look right facing the wall and Nicholas made a face. </p><p>“I’ll have to project onto one of our walls. Is that alright?” he asked.</p><p>“Why wouldn’t it be?”</p><p>“Well, we’ll have to sit on one of our beds. And since you’re always complaining mine has crumbs in it--”</p><p>Seiji let out a heavy sigh, got up and said, “I’m not letting you on my bed. I’m sure you’d just bring the crumbs with you. Move over.”</p><p>He sat beside Nicholas who made the final adjustments on the projector. As Seiji expected, there were indeed mysterious crumbs in the blankets. He crossed his ankles and watched as the film’s start screen came up. </p><p>“What is this movie?” he asked as Nicholas navigated the menu to scene selection.</p><p>“Adventures of Robin Hood, with Errol Flynn,” Nicholas said. “It’s from the thirties, I think.”</p><p>“I see.”</p><p>Nicholas settled next to Seiji, their backs to the wall. He sat with his legs crossed and they brushed against Seiji’s, who shifted away. Nicholas seemed not to notice, eyes fixed on the screen.</p><p>They watched as a man with a deer over his shoulders walked through giant doors. He went up to another man and dropped the carcass on the table in front of him.</p><p>“Why does he have a dead deer?” Seiji asked flatly.</p><p>“I dunno, I’ve never seen this movie,” Nicholas said, grabbing the remote. “I’ll just skip to the fight scene.”</p><p>He forwarded the movie until a fight broke out in the room. The action was focused on a man in green and the man who’d had the deer dropped in front of him.</p><p>“Why are they even fighting?” Seiji asked, a little lost in the plot.</p><p>“I don’t know, man, I told you I haven’t seen this.” Nicholas actually sounded annoyed with Seiji, which was a riot given their usual arguments.</p><p>They watched for a few seconds as the two men fought on screen. There were...so many things wrong with both their techniques. Seiji didn’t know where to start.</p><p>“Look at that, the guy in green’s grip is terrible, almost like y--” Seiji started but Nicholas abruptly paused the movie and turned slowly to look at him.</p><p>“‘The guy in green’?” He repeated, staring at Seiji like he’d said whaling was a lost art.</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t remember his name,” Seiji said stiffly, not sure why his words warranted such a look.</p><p>“That’s--that’s <em> Robin Hood </em> , Seiji. <em> Robin. Hood </em>.” Nicholas looked almost disgusted. “Do you not know who Robin Hood is?”</p><p>“I know who Robin Hood is, Zero,” Seiji retorted, feeling as though the world was upside down now that Nicholas seemed to think <em> he </em>was the stupid one in their relationship. Not that it was a relationship.</p><p>“Did you never see the Disney movie? With the fox?” Nicholas asked.</p><p>“No, why?”</p><p>Nicholas laughed loudly and turned back to the screen. “One, we’re watching this movie from the beginning now since you apparently need to have plot in order to just follow a fight. And two,” he said, looking back at Seiji, “We might have to watch the Disney movie. Let’s just say it defined the word ‘foxy’ for me.”</p><p>Seiji, who felt lost in the conversation, sat stiffly back against the wall and waited while Nicholas started the movie. He was a little surprised that he actually enjoyed it. The movie was just ridiculous enough to be funny and just serious enough to be interesting. When it finally got to the scene that Harvard had told Nicholas about, Seiji wasn’t distracted by questions about plot. He and Nicholas argued about footwork and technique, a discussion that carried well past the relevant scene. They both fell silent during the Robin and Marian scenes, neither being very invested in the on-screen relationship.</p><p>It was a long movie. Longer than Seiji had expected. Towards the end, he noticed that Nicholas was listing sideways in his direction. When he looked over at his face, he saw Nicholas’ eyes drooping. He thought about suggesting they stop the movie but Seiji found he actually wanted to finish it. So he said nothing, even when Nicholas’ head touched his shoulder. He stiffened, expecting...something, he wasn’t sure what, but Nicholas was quiet. Was he asleep? A glance down told Seiji that yes, yes he was.</p><p>He sighed and crossed his arms, half hoping that the jostle would wake Nicholas, but it didn’t. The idiot went right on sleeping. Seiji resigned himself to the position and watched the rest of the movie. When the end credits rolled, he grabbed the remote from Nicholas’ limp hand and stopped it. Nicholas just snuffled in his sleep and sort of nuzzled Seiji’s shoulder.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>Feeling his face heat up, Seiji decided to try and maneuver off the bed. But as he tried to lean away from Nicholas and sit forward, Nicholas flung an arm around Seiji and dragged him down as Nicholas flopped onto the bed. To Seiji’s intense embarrassment, he realized that Nicholas had pulled him into a spooning position. </p><p>He felt Nicholas nuzzle his face into Seiji’s back, one arm wrapped around his chest and holding him tight, one leg flung over his waist. He was very effectively tangled in Nicholas’ limbs.</p><p>“Uh. Nicholas?” Seiji said hoarsely, but there was no response. Was the idiot actually still asleep? He couldn’t see over his shoulder to check. He vaguely remembered seeing Nicholas sleeping like this before, except a pillow was the one in Seiji’s position, being half strangled by the guy’s muscles. </p><p>Nicholas was a warm, heavy weight on him. His breathing was deep and even, a steady rhythm against his neck. Was...was this what it had felt like when Seiji helped Nicholas with the tennis ball? He remembered the feel of Nicholas’ shoulders under his hand, the warmth of his hand when he’d corrected his grip, the flex of muscle when he’d brushed Nicholas’ arm. He’d been tense, which was why Seiji had helped in the first place, but in sleep his muscles were soft and pliant.</p><p>“Maybe you should learn to fence in your sleep,” Seiji grumbled and stiffened again when Nicholas muttered in his back and tightened his grip briefly.</p><p>This shouldn’t be happening, Seiji thought to himself, and he started to disentangle himself from Nicholas. The other boy murmured in his sleep and tried to hold onto Seiji, but he quickly substituted a pillow in his place and Nicholas calmed, burrowing his face into the pillow. The idiot actually had a small smile on his face.</p><p>Seiji looked down at Nicholas, head cocked as he watched him sleep. He stayed that way for a minute, and then another minute, and perhaps a few more. Eventually, Seiji went to his own bed, and then, some time after that, he fell asleep.</p>
<hr/><p>A week later, Nicholas again greeted Seiji when he walked into their room. The projector was up again, and Nicholas had a bag of popcorn beside him on his bed.</p><p>“Another movie?” Seiji asked, raising a brow.</p><p>Nicholas grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “It’s time for you to learn the meaning of foxy.”</p><p>Seiji just stared, thinking that Nicholas had lost his mind if he was suggesting what Seiji assumed he was. Nicholas’ face broke into a look of horror and he said quickly, “The Disney movie! Disney’s Robin Hood! Remember, from last week?”</p><p>Seiji felt his face begin to flush and he quickly moved to his dresser and started changing. “I’d already forgotten,” he said coldly, too embarrassed to look at Nicholas.</p><p>“I mean we don’t have to watch it, but since you’ve never seen it and clearly your childhood was lacking--” Nicholas trailed off meaningfully.</p><p>Seiji stared blankly at the wall. He hadn’t forgotten about the last movie night. How could he? Every time he helped Nicholas train, their bodies close enough that he could feel the guy’s heat, he remembered the weight of Nicholas at his back. He cleared his throat and turned, face purposefully blank.</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>Like last week, Nicholas cheered and got the projector running. Seiji carefully sat next to him, leaving more room between them this time. For the popcorn, he told himself, as he grabbed the bag and set it next to him.</p><p>“I didn’t realize it was animated,” he said as the menu came up.</p><p>Nicholas grinned. “I did say it was Disney.”</p><p>“Not all of Disney’s movies are animated.”</p><p>“True, but I also said that Robin Hood was a fox. Did you think they did a live action movie with a fox?”</p><p>Seiji said nothing, and took a handful of popcorn.</p><p>Nicholas laughed and started the movie. A rooster was singing.</p><p>“What is happening?” Seiji asked flatly.</p><p>“Suspend your disbelief, Seiji, suspend.”</p><p>A few minutes went by.</p><p>“Is there even any fencing in this movie?”</p><p>“Seiji?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Shut up.”</p><p>They watched the movie. It was cutesy and dumb, and Seiji didn’t much care for it, but whenever he looked sideways at Nicholas, the guy was always watching avidly or laughing at the jokes for children. So he watched.</p><p>Nicholas was barely leaning on him by the time the movie finished, and Seiji was surprised that it was over. </p><p>“Do you get it now?” Nicholas asked, getting up and retrieving the disc from the player.</p><p>“Get what?” Seiji asked, watching Nicholas with his arms crossed.</p><p>“What I said about understanding the meaning of...foxy?” And Nicholas waggled his eyebrows again, looking ridiculous enough that Seiji couldn’t stop a small chuckle. The other boy’s grin widened and Seiji coughed as he got up from Nicholas’ bed.</p><p>“Thanks for making me watch something with zero fencing,” Seiji deadpanned, but didn’t move to his own bed.</p><p>Nicholas looked at him for a moment, an odd look in his eyes that Seiji couldn’t pin down.</p><p>Abruptly, Nicholas asked, “Do you <em> want </em>to watch a movie with fencing?”</p><p>Seiji wondered briefly what time it was. He thought about having to wake up in the morning to train. He thought about how Nicholas looked when he slept.</p><p>“What did you have in mind?”</p><p>Which is how they ended up watching the Princess Bride, another movie Seiji hadn’t seen. Nicholas was scandalized again and seriously questioned Seiji’s sense of pop culture but gamely got the movie from his bag.</p><p>“Harvard gave me a bunch of different movies with cool fencing scenes,” he explained when Seiji asked. </p><p>It was longer than the Disney movie, and Nicholas was clearly tired. After the fencing scene, he started to lean on Seiji again. By the time they were storming the castle, he was asleep, head on Seiji’s shoulder and hands limp in his lap. Seiji didn’t move. He kept his eyes on the movie, half listening to the dialogue, half listening to Nicholas’ breathing.</p><p>
  <em> “Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The end.” </em>
</p><p>Seiji looked down at Nicholas as a young Fred Savage said goodbye to his grandfather. His face was tilted toward Seiji, mouth partly open. His eyes were closed and twitched occasionally.</p><p>“<em> Maybe you could come over and read it again to me tomorrow…” </em></p><p>
  <em> “...As you wish.” </em>
</p><p>Seiji stared at Nicholas, mind blank. He slowly reached over, grabbed the remote, and stopped the movie. Just as slowly, he started to move off Nicholas’ bed. Like last week, Nicholas held onto Seiji and then he was on his back. Nicholas’ face was nestled into his shoulder, and he had one arm thrown over Seiji’s chest and one leg wrapping around his waist.</p><p>Seiji froze, waiting to see if Nicholas would wake up. When the boy’s breathing remained deep and even, he let himself relax bit by bit. </p><p>He should get up. He should do what he did last week: disentangle himself from Nicholas, and return to his own bed. But…</p><p>Nicholas needed his sleep, he reasoned awkwardly to himself. If he moved, he could wake Nicholas up. The other boy nuzzled into Seiji and gripped him tightly before relaxing again, murmuring something that Seiji didn’t understand. Maybe he could stay for just five minutes. Their room was somewhat cold and he was warm with Nicholas wrapped around him. He’d wake up earlier than Nicholas anyway, and if he was still in Nicholas’ bed he’d get up then for his workout. No one would ever know. Not even Nicholas.</p>
<hr/><p>Nicholas woke slowly, rubbing his face into his warm pillow. He usually slept like the dead. What had woken him?</p><p>He suddenly realized that his pillow was warm. Too warm. He pulled his head back and saw that he was snuggled <em> very </em>close to Seiji. The projector was off and the bag of popcorn was on the nightstand. Seiji’s body was warm against his. He must’ve fallen asleep--no way would Seiji sleep during a movie, even one he maybe didn’t like. But then why hadn’t Seiji moved to his own bed?</p><p>Nicholas realized there was a hand on his shoulder. Seiji had an arm wrapped around him, almost like he was holding Nicholas in place against him. He craned his neck to look up at Seiji. The normally blank-faced boy looked peaceful. Relaxed. Nicholas thought those lips might even be curved in a small smile.</p><p>He briefly thought about moving, about releasing Seiji and sleeping as far from him as his small bed allowed. But as he stared at Seiji, and felt the warmth between their bodies, he chose not to.</p><p>With a smile, he snuggled back into Seiji’s shoulder, feeling Seiji’s hand tighten briefly on him. He usually got up first anyway. If Seiji wanted to pretend like this had never happened, Nicholas could feign ignorance. </p><p>And if he squeezed Seiji's chest before falling back asleep, well, he'd feign ignorance of that, too.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I took a fencing class in college and for our final we legit watched fencing/sword-fighting scenes from movies, including Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and the Princess Bride.</p><p>Also if you didn't think the fox Robin Hood was hot as a child....I'm sorry, your loss.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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